


Coup by Memory

by Milly



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: F/M, The Altverse, virtual season
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-10-09
Updated: 2010-10-09
Packaged: 2017-12-24 19:22:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,172
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/943714
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Milly/pseuds/Milly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When the celebration of a planet's independence turns into a political coup, the Doctor and Rose have to fight the clock to save the royal family. In the process, they may literally  lose a part of themselves. </p><p>Episode 16 of a virtual series at <a href="http://the-altverse.livejournal.com/profile"><img class="i-ljuser-userhead"/></a><a class="i-ljuser-username" href="http://the-altverse.livejournal.com/"><b>the_altverse</b></a>, following <a href="http://community.livejournal.com/the_altverse/12309.html">When in Rome...</a> last week.<a href="http://community.livejournal.com/the_altverse/343.html"> Virtual Series Masterlist</a></p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to shinyopals for all the help and to everyone who provided assistance and compassion.

Rose Tyler was waiting in line on a strange planet to enter a sumptuous castle without knowing anything about what was awaiting her inside. Yet, the only thing that surprised her was how normal it felt. Well, that and the fact that the red silk dress she had picked without much information provided by the Doctor fit in as well as it did with what the other women were wearing. Chewing on her lower lip, she peeked over the heads of the people in front of her. She tried to estimate how long they had to go before they got to the security check, then turned to the Doctor.

“So... Psychic paper?”

“Nope!” the Doctor replied, making the last syllable pop. He waited a few seconds, prolonging the suspense. She elbowed him playfully, urging him to give her the explanation. He laughed.

“I actually RSVPed way ahead of time through Torchwood. Thought it might be a good idea considering that security would be pretty tight.”

She shook her head, marvelling at how he could still surprise her after all these years. The line moved forward at a snail's pace, but finally they presented their invitation and were waved through by security. They rounded a corner and Rose's smile disappeared and was replaced by awe.

“This is beautiful!” Rose exclaimed as they finally entered the reception hall where the celebration was taking place. The ceiling was high and the room richly decorated. The royal family was sitting at the top of a massive staircase, discernible from the rest because of the crowns or diadems on their heads and the guards standing around them. They were sitting at table not different from all the tables she could see around the room, if bigger. There were four of them in all, the royal couple as well as two young adults she supposed to be the Prince and the Princess.

“Of course it is! I wouldn't bring you just anywhere! This is the greatest celebration in this corner of the universe in over a century!” the Doctor exclaimed, waving one arm at the room.

“What's it for, then? We... we're not crashing a royal wedding, right?” she asked, apprehension shooting through her. She could hardly remember a time where crashing someone's wedding with the Doctor had turned out the way they had expected it. Not that much of anything really did, if she were to be honest. That was part of the thrill.

“No, of course not! We're celebrating the tenth year of King Valran's reign!”

The Doctor led her through the crowd, a few people turning to look at them as they went but no one stopping them. There were very few Humans (or people who looked human) in the crowd that she could see, making them stand out. As they approached a table, Rose noticed that there was a placeholder card with their name on it. The Doctor stopped by the table but did not sit down. Rose smiled, knowing that any second now he would go into a detailed explanation of where they were and why. He did not disappoint.

“Most people who live on Talong are of Gareyn and Human descent. They have human features, but a distinctively Gareyn green and blue coloring,” the Doctor started, subtly pointing at the royal family assembled at the top of the stairs. All of them had green hair and a blue hue to their skin, although the shade varied from one person to the next. While their eyes were a piercing blue and a bit larger than average, their features were definitely humanoid.

“Some Humans also live here, but there aren’t that many and most of them are just passing by,” the Doctor said, taking two drinks from a passing server. He handed one to Rose and she almost choked on the liquid when she tried to drink it. It was very acidic, almost like freshly squeezed lemon juice.

“Talong delicacy,” the Doctor said with a sparkle in his eyes. “Should probably have told you their taste buds were a bit different from yours.”

She rolled her eyes, stopping short of pulling her tongue at him.

“I don't get it though. This seems a bit... too much for ten years. I mean, that's really not that long,” Rose asked, after one more quick look around the room. The hall was packed with people, most of them Talongs, with a few humans here and there. All of them were dressed in their finest and the women were covered in jewelry. All the tables were richly decorated with brightly coloured flowers in crystal vases and embroidered table cloths.

“Talong was a mining planet. Still is, although the work conditions now are much better than what they used to be. Gareyns have a very simple yet effective method of exploiting the core of certain planets in the territory they control, and it serves some of their other interests well...”

A man passed close to them, causing the Doctor to pause so as not to be overheard. Rose frowned, eager to know what he had meant.

“They're big on race purity, which means they dislike hybrids. Or at least, that has been the stance for the last few centuries. Let's just say they weren't so pleased when they discovered that before the current administration had been put in place, some of the settlers on the planets they shared with the human empire had become very very close friends with Humans there. All the human hybrids were rounded up and kept in ships until they could find a new planet for them. Cheap labour.”

Rose gasped in horror. It was a story she was all too familiar with, like most people from her time. Images from countless textbooks and documentaries flashed through her mind in an instant: people forced into ships or concentration camps, people treated as cattle and forced to work to support a system that controlled them... She shivered at the mental image of the people who were currently standing around them being forced into ship, then forced to settle and work here.

“But the people of Talong refused to take it lying down. Only three years after settling here, they overthrew the administrators with the support of the human empire and the leader of the revolution was elected as king. King Valran has reigned over the planet ever since and the planet has been a great example of what can be accomplished by the gareyn-human hybrids. They took the name Talongs and it was adopted by all the hybrids, even those living on other planets.”

“And today is the tenth anniversary of the revolution, yeah?” Rose asked, looking around the room with admiration. She understood better now why ten years, despite not being that long a period of time, was worth celebrating with such extravagance.

It was not long before they had charmed their way into a conversation with people from Talong, including the Head Adviser to the King, Safran, and his wife, Neena. Both of them turned out to be seated at the same table as them, the conversation continuing through most of the five course meal. The more she learned about Talong and its people, the better she understood why the Doctor had taken her here. Through their travels, there had been some many instances where she had been confronted with the darker aspects of human nature; it was truly nice to see what they could accomplish as they spread through the universe, met new species and created new life. With a quiet laugh to herself, she remembered asking the Doctor if this was her specie's mission once they got out there. _We seek new life and... dance_. This was one dance she was very glad to see the outcome of.

While the company was good, she unfortunately could not say the same about the food. Like the drink she had almost spit out earlier, everything in the meal had a very sour taste. She tried to eat as much as she could, doing her best to ignore the Doctor's mocking grin, but by the time they took away what looked to be the main course she had had enough. Apparently, so did Neena, because she repeated Rose's indication that she did not want dessert to the server when he came to pick up their plates.

“You're good, you know. Most Humans who come to Talong for the first time can't eat a bite,” Neena said when the server had left. “Even for me, it's a bit much.”

Rose frowned. “What do you mean?”

“My father's father was Gareyn, but his mother was human and so is mine. I'm only one fourth Gareyn, so my taste buds aren't big fans of acidic food.”

Rose had noticed that Neena's hair was brown, rather than one of the various shades of green she could see on others, but she had assumed it might simply be dyed. Now that she paid closer attention, she also noted that her skin wasn't quite as blue either, though her eyes were similar to that of most Talongs.

“Generally I can only handle so much before I start feeling as though my tongue will fall out,” Neena said with a laugh. Rose joined in, attracting the attention of both their husbands.

“Seems like someone's been bonding over human taste buds,” the Head Adviser said, sounding amused. It was obvious that human dislike of the Talong delicacies were a common joking matter for people here. Safran eyed the Doctor's empty plate, looking rather impressed. “Seems that you don't mind it so much, Doctor.”

“Ah. Well. I never settle on an opinion until I've given it a good try,” the Doctor explained after a moment of hesitation. It was Rose's turn to grin. Getting into a discussion about Time Lords with one of the most powerful politicians on the planet in a universe where they had never existed was probably a bit too serious for polite table conversation. “In this case, my opinion is that I'll also pass on dessert.”

The table erupted in laughter, even the two other couples who were seated across from the four of them. From Rose's understanding, they were minor members of the advising committee, but that was all she knew about them because they had mostly kept to themselves during the entire meal. They were quick to return to the same pattern soon after.

“Just as well. If both of you are done with your meal, would you like to come and have a word with the King along with Neena and I?”

Rose and the Doctor exchanged a surprised look. In the back of her mind, she could hear Jackie's voice repeating over and over again that those things only happened whenever the two of them were around. Of course, in her mother's mind, “those things” encapsulated a variety of things such as deathly threats, uncovering lost treasures or in this instance, being invited to a personal meeting with the King.

Many heads turned in their wake as they progressed towards the staircase behind Safran and Neena, but Rose kept her eyes on their destination.

“So what are we gonna be telling the King? Hello Your Majesty, we just thought we'd pop in for a chat?” she whispered to the Doctor as they started ascending the stairs. He squeezed the arm that was looped around his gently and smiled wide.

The guards allowed them through after assurance from the Head Adviser that they could be trusted and they were introduced to the royal family. Only the King rose from the table and walked up to meet them. Neena curtsied and Rose mimicked her, looking at her from the corner of her eye to make sure that she was getting it right. When she looked up, the King was smiling at her.

“You must be the two Torchwood representatives. It's rare that human empire organizations venture as far as Talong. Your presence honours me and my family,” the King said, extending one arm towards the royal table. He made the rounds, presenting Princess Valrana, Prince Alran and Queen Morana.

“Princess Valrana has been studying politics and science, whereas Prince Alran has focused his efforts on economics and military tactics. When I'm ready to let Valrana take over as Queen in a few years, Prince Alran will become Head Adviser and together they are sure to help Talong thrive,” the King explained, his pride in the accomplishments of his children obvious as he spoke.

“I would say Talong already thrives under your reign, King Valran,” the Doctor said. He truly meant it too, Rose knew, not that the Doctor was one to say false niceties to anyone just for the sake of it. Just like he was quick to come down on the people who deserved it, he could recognize when someone's behaviour was worthy of admiration.

“Yes. We've accomplished a lot in the last decade,” the King replied after a short silence. Rose was still pondering on the reason behind his moment of hesitation when Princess Valrana screamed.

As Valrana's piercing scream stunned the rest of the room into silence, Rose's field reflexes kicked in and she whirled around. A Talong man was running up the last few steps up the staircase, obviously too fast for any of the guards to get to him in time. Rose's brain registered many details at once, but one came through more clearly than the rest: in his hands, she could see the gleam of a blade.

“Rose! The King!”

Understanding the Doctor's meaning instantly, she spun again to face the King and tackled him. They both fell to the ground in a heap, her body covering his protectively. Pushing her hair out of her face, she glanced in the Doctor's direction. He had tackled the attacker and was in the process of getting back to his feet, the guards keeping the man on the floor. He straightened his clothes, finishing with the bow tie. It was only when he gave her an odd look that she realized that she was still lying on top of the King.

“Your Majesty! I'm so very sorry!”

She was mortified, but his smile offered reassurance.

“You saved my life, you have nothing to be sorry about.”

Whispers and gasps rose from the assembled crowd below, as though they were only then realizing the true nature of what had taken place. At the top of the stairs, Rose, the King and the Doctor were quickly surrounded in an instant by guards and the royal family. The Doctor pressed his hand to the small of Rose's back in reassurance and they shared another look. Her mother truly was right, “those things” only happened to them.

After a few more seconds of his children and wife fretting over his well being, the King turned back to Rose and the Doctor. “Perhaps I should explain why you just had to risk your own lives for mine.”

**

As people were ushered out - much to the dismay of many who had yet to finish their dessert - the Doctor and Rose were led to an office a few corridors down from the reception hall. The room reminded him of one of his favourite rooms in the old TARDIS, with its walls almost covered with bookshelves. A massive desk was placed at one end of the room, with the Talong insignia engraved on its front. The Doctor had only started exploring the room when the door opened and the King walked in. He gave instructions to the guard stationed at the door, then walked in long strides towards the desk. He wasted no time with pleasantries and cut straight to the chase.

“For the last few months, we've been trying to maintain the facade that everything is as well as can be, but behind the scenes...” Valran started, sitting down in the chair and waving at two empty seats in front of him. He looked nothing like the King with the imposing presence they had encountered until then. He was just a man with a terrible weight on his shoulders.

“Do you know who's trying to overthrow you?” the Doctor asked, not waiting for the King to continue. While he sympathised with the King, he was impatient to get more details about what type of situation he and Rose had just landed themselves in the middle of. He accepted the King's silent invitation and sat down in front of him, but Rose started circling the room. She walked up to one bookshelf, reading the titles as she went. Despite her apparent nonchalant attitude, he knew that she was paying attention to every single word of the exchange. She had learned through watching him, after all. He itched to do the same, but someone had to ask the questions and it seemed like he would have to be that person today.

“No. Though I've always suspected that the old administration has not lost all of its supporters,” the King answered, his eyes trailing Rose as she moved from one bookshelf unit to the next. The Doctor gave a small nod. It made sense for the supporters of the old regime to still have a strong presence on the planet. The independence had occurred less than a generation ago and most people who were alive today had witnessed it firsthand. He could only imagine that support might come from the leaders of planets with their own servant class pushing for independence. Certainly, making an example out of Talong by proving the independent kingdom a failure after only a decade might serve their interests.

Noticing that the King was focused on Rose, the Doctor turned to glance at her over his shoulder. She was observing a light fixture on the wall, her fingers tracing the edges of it.

“Pardon me, Your Majesty, but did you have this replaced? The paint seems like it's a different colour because of the light exposure, but the position is off,” Rose said, turning in their direction.

“You have a good eye, Mrs Tyler,” the King said, getting up to join Rose. The Doctor followed, a smile on his face. Anyone who appreciated Rose’s abilities was all right in his book. “Why don't you try rotating it to the left?”

Rose frowned, but obliged. There was a loud metallic sound that seemed to come from inside the wall, followed by a series of more muted clicks travelling down, then to their left. After a second of silence, the bookshelf they were standing next to swung open, revealing an entrance.

“Wow. Less obvious than pulling a book to get to the secret passage. Nice!”

“Yes and it might very well become necessary in the next few weeks, if we even have that...” the King countered, looking deflated. “My advising committee has been doing all it can to try to track down and stop any attempt to overthrow the independent kingdom, but tonight's events make it clear that we haven't succeeded...”

King Valran paused, looking as though he had just been struck by an idea. Then followed a few seconds of silence during which the Doctor glanced over at his wife in confusion. She was frowning, obviously just as lost as he was.

“Perhaps an outsider's perspective might provide counsel?” the King finally said.

The Doctor would come to remember the look on the King's face at their agreeing instantly as one of the single greatest expressions of shock he had ever seen. He could not really blame him for thinking that they would turn him down. After all most couples without any real stake in the matter would not willingly throw themselves in the middle of a situation such as this one. Of course, they were not most couples.

As there were only a few hours left before daylight, they were again led down a series of corridors to a bedroom with a plan to start investigating in the morning.

Well, that had been the plan. So of course, he should have known that the situation would unfold in a completely different way. Their room was nice – nicer than many places they’d stayed over the years – but the Doctor was far more interested in enjoying some time with Rose. His hand was hovering over the zipper of Rose's dress when the sound of the first explosion broke the silence.

“Oh god, that can't possibly...” Rose exclaimed behind him as he ran to the window. She was interrupted by the sound of a second explosion and had barely joined at the window when a third followed. A large fire ball painted the room orange for a split second, only momentarily shielding their vision of what was happening below. A small army surrounded the castle.

“This is bad. Very, very, very bad!”

He backed away from the window, pacing the room with his fingers combing through his hair furiously. It was only when he looked up that he noticed Rose staring at him. She was still wearing her silk dress and her hair had fallen out of the elaborate style she had worn earlier, in part thanks to tackling the King to the floor at dinner, but mostly due to his efforts when they had kissed moments before. The Doctor tried to imagine telling this story to Rose’s family back home and held back a laugh at the ridiculousness.

“Go get the royal family out. I'll take care of the King. Take them back to the TARDIS!”

She nodded, then closed the distance between them and pulled him for a quick kiss. “Just hold on to that thought, okay?”  
Without losing another second, she turned around and ran out. He was close behind, taking a right at the next corridor as Rose took a left.

**

Despite the King's earlier instructions on how to get around in the castle, Rose was still convinced she’d lost her way as she turned right into yet another corridor. Her right shoe had called it a day about five corridors earlier and she had kicked the other off right after. Next time, even if the event called for a fancy dress, she would wear sensible shoes.

Even though she saw no one, she could hear commotion a few corridors down from her. She had no idea where the royal family was, nor where the Doctor was, and for all she knew a violent army was closing in on her. This had not been what she had in mind when they had accepted the King's plea for help. She turned one more corner, then stopped to assess the situation. The sound of her own heart beating wildly in her chest was deafening, but she tried to concentrate on the other noises. Sounds seemed to come from the way she had come, which was at least a small comfort. She already knew the royal quarters were not that way. Breathing in deep, she resumed her search.

Two lefts and a right later, she finally found the corridor the King had described. Wider and painted with a rich gold colour rather than the blue that could be observed in most of the castle, it definitely stood apart from the rest. She had to open three doors before she finally found the Princess and the Queen huddled together on the bed. The Prince was standing in front of them in a defensive posture. Relief washed over all of their faces when they realized it was her.

“Come, Your Majesties! We can't stay here, we have to go!,” Rose urged them, already backtracking towards the door. Princess Valrana shook her head.

“You go with them, I'll try to find my father.”

“The Doctor's with him, you need to come with us!”

Queen Morana needed less convincing than her daughter. She hopped from the bed and joined Rose by the door. Princess Alrana stood, but did not follow her mother.

“Go! I'll catch up with you when I know that Father is safe!”

Before Rose could say anything, Prince Alran had gone to his sister and was pulling her towards the door. “Come on, Valrana!”

The Princess jerked her arm free. “We need to protect the King!”

“The Doctor's with him, Princess, but you need to come with me. Now!” Rose insisted, growing tense as precious seconds were lost in the argument. The Princess stared at her, then turned to her brother.

“You go. You go find Father and if you can, help him. If something happens to him and we can stop this, I'll be needed to take over the throne,” the Princess said. Even though her voice was warm, it was obviously not a suggestion, but an order. Valrana and Alran held each other's gaze for a beat, then the Prince nodded.

Rose was about to protest once more when the sound of an explosion interrupted her. This time, the source was clearly inside the castle itself. There was no time to wait and short of knocking him out and carrying him on her back, it was clear that nothing she could do would convince him to come with them.

With no time to waste, she took hold of the hand Valrana was still holding out and dragged both women out of the room. Stopping at the end of every corridor to make sure there was no danger looming just around the corner, she led them to the King's office. The sound of people rushing down hallways and doors swinging grew louder as they went, so did the sound and frequency of explosions. The air was thick with smoke now and Rose was glad that they had finally made it to their destination because she was not sure how long they could last breathing the polluted air. She entered the room first, making sure that there was no one hiding in the darkness, then let the others inside. Rose opened the passage, Princess Valrana going first, followed by her mother. As she passed Rose, the Queen stopped to look at her straight in the eyes.

“Do you really think that your husband can save mine?”

It was a thought she had done her best to avoid as she led the two women to through the chaos. They had been through similar situations before, death always a possibility, but she could not allow her mind to dwell on what might happen. It had probably been a few hours since she had last seen the Doctor, she realized, only then noticing that the sun was rising outside. They were to meet at the TARDIS; maybe the Doctor was already waiting for them. Soon, she would know, but in the meantime she had to focus on her end of the deal.

“Yes, I'm sure. Now come, Your Majesty!”

She grabbed the Queen's hand and together they entered the corridor just in time before the bookshelf closed, leaving them in complete darkness. Cursing under her breath, Rose advanced down the passage, guiding herself by letting her hand trail against the wall. The ground was cold under her feet and her teeth were chattering. They had only made it a few meters down the corridor when they heard the sound of the door being activated. With a loud gasp, Rose abandoned the wall and rushed ahead.

“Quickly!”

They had covered enough distance to keep them out of the light when the bookshelf swung to the side, revealing a silhouette. Without Rose needing to say anything, the two other women stopped, careful not to make a sound that would reveal their presence. The silhouette walked into the corridor and the bookshelf closed behind it. Rose held her breath, doing her best to remain silent even though she was shivering. While beautiful and trendy, her dress was doing nothing to keep her warm. She carefully took a step back, feeling the Queen's breath against her ear. A second later, a bright light blinded her and she jumped back, putting herself between the intruder and the two royals.

“It's me! Rose, it's just me!”

Rose's heart jumped in her chest before she realized that it was not the Doctor's voice. Blinking, she was finally able to make out Prince Alran's features. He was holding something that looked like a torch, a large green orb placed at the top of a wand. Finally, she was able to see the corridor clearly. Carved out of stone, it was just high enough to accommodate Prince Alran.

“I'm so glad you're alright. Have you seen the Doctor and your father?”

The look on his face made her heart sink. Behind her, she heard the Princess shifting. Valrana came around her so that she could face her brother. “What is it, Alran?”

“Father and the Doctor were taken by the army. I was able to hide, but I heard everything,” the Prince answered, his voice barely above a whisper. “They have taken them to the prison ship. Father will be executed and because the Doctor tried to protect him, so will he.”

 

**

The moment he opened in eyes, the Doctor knew that had been a bad decision on his part. Bright lights blinded him, making him cry out in pain as he reached up to shield his eyes with his hands. It took a long time before they grew accustomed to the brightness that surrounded him, the white walls and sharp light leaving no room for shadows nor mercy for his retinas. Looking around the room, it wasn't too long before he discovered the King lying unconscious next to him.

“King Valran!”

He quickly scrambled to his feet, happy to find himself unrestrained. After a few hurried steps, he stopped abruptly. Something was off, but he couldn't tell exactly what. The combination of brightness and the lasting effects of being sedated tempered with his senses. Following a moment of hesitation, he raised one hand. His palm met resistance just a few inches in front of him.

He was held in a glass cell and King Valran was in the cell next to his. He spun in place, scanning the glass panels that formed the walls of his cell and finding no discernible door. If he hoped to make it out and save the King before their sentences were applied, he was going to have to look harder than that. Pressing both of his palms flat against the wall closest to him, he began exploring them for any hint of a way out.

**

“They're gonna kill him?” Rose stammered, feeling the blood drain from her face. The princess' eyes went wide and she shook her head, the long green curls bouncing around her face.

“No! Oh, no! The Gareen have abandoned those barbaric methods long ago. All the settlements are required to use memory wipes now. Father chose to keep them when we gained independence.”

“Memory wipes? They erase all your memories?”

If the princess' intent had been to reassure Rose, she had been greatly mistaken. While the prospect of the Doctor being executed was worse, a scenario where he lost all memory of who he was and of their life together was not exactly what she would call a good alternative.

“The standard is ten years, unless the crime requires more. For murder, it's a clean slate. People are able to start anew, and if the verdict is proven incorrect, the process is reversible.”

There. Finally, the hint of a light at the end of the tunnel. The process was reversible, even if they could not get to the Doctor in time, there was a way for them to salvage his memories. Suddenly, a terrifying thought struck Rose. “Does it not harm the brain?”

“Not at all!” Valrana replied, shaking her head once more for emphasis. Behind her, Prince Alran coughed and the young woman cringed. “Well, not for Gareyn, Human or human hybrids.”

Another cough.

“Not known hybrids,” Valrana amended again, her blue complexion taking a slight green hue. She looked as though something truly horrifying had just dawned on her. They had had to provide a lot of information about themselves to the King and his security team the night before, in order to be granted access to all of the castle after they had agreed to provide assistance. Obviously, some of that information had made its way to the rest of the family and they had deemed it important enough to set aside the Doctor from other human hybrids.

“What? What happens to unknown hybrids?” Rose enquired, the change in the Princess' expression feeding her growing panic. “Princess?!”

“Without knowing the proper neurological pathways, it's hard to adjust the machine. Sometimes everything still works, sometimes...” the Princess began, before averting her eyes.

“Sometimes what?”

After a few seconds of tense silence that felt like a lifetime to Rose, Prince Alran spoke. “Permanent brain damage. Often death.”

Rose stood there in a stunned silence. The Queen, who had kept silent since Alran had joined them, chose that moment to speak up. “I'm sorry for your husband, but you might as well consider it a done deal. Execution is to take place on the same day as the sentencing. There is no way to get to the ship and the Doctor in time. The prison ship is like a maze, to make sure that any prisoner who dared try to escape got lost in the process. No one without a tracking chip can find their way around this ship...”

“I can,” the Prince interrupted. “Valrana and I both can”

“Why is that?”

“The prison ship was the ship we were kept on during the journey to Talong. We spent four years on the ship, playing around and learning all of its twists and the best hiding places. I know it's been thirteen years, but I know that we could still find our way.”

The Queen shook her head, her face a combination of fear and frustration. “Be that as it may, but you still won't be able to get to them in time to stop the execution. Not to mention, I'm not exactly sure how you plan to accomplish just that. After the ship was converted, its administration was handed over to the Alliance just like all prison ships of the human empire and its allies. They're independent and take no part in political conflicts. They obey to their own laws, not Talong's. The King was overthrown, he's not the leader anymore. They will only answer to the leader. You will find no supporters there and I will not let you put your life on the line.”

While Rose could understand that the woman wanted to keep her children out of harm's way, it still made her angry. “We can't just stand here and do nothing!”

“There might be a way,” the Princess said. “But I'm not sure you'll like it.”

 

**

“I'm being released?” he said, making no attempt at concealing the shock from his voice. Aside from the revolutionary army being stopped and the old government being reinstated, he could think of no reason that would lead to his release and King Valran was still unconscious in the glass cell next to his.

The guard waved his weapon again, this time at the wall behind the Doctor. As he turned to face it, a video display appeared on the glass. The signal was badly distorted at first, until the undulating waves finally settled to reveal the image. Rose was standing in a white room not unlike the one containing the cells, most likely inside the prison ship. She was facing the camera, but looking slightly to the right of it, probably addressing someone who was standing next to the capturing device. She looked tired, but determined.

“Look it up. Rose Tyler, 21st century Earth. I'm the ranking agent here, he was only doing what I ordered him to do. Your own laws state that when orders are given in an officially recognized organization operating under a chain of command, only the person in charge will be considered responsible. Torchwood is officially recognized by the Alliance. I hereby request that the charges be transferred from your prisoner onto me.”

Rose's voice was steady, but the Doctor could see she was shaking like a leaf, despite the strong facade. “Oh, Rose. Why?”

The video ran its course, the image cutting to static before disappearing completely. At the same time, a door opened in the wall just beyond the glass panel. Two guards were pushing Rose in, her wrists bound by an electronic device in front of her. Relief washed over her features when she saw him, the very opposite of what he was feeling.

“Rose, no! What did you do?”

“No talking to the prisoner. You have been released. If you don't leave now, you will be charged for not obeying an official order,” the guard behind him stated firmly, grabbing the Doctor's arm and jerking him away from the glass panel. The Doctor's eyes remained on Rose.

“Go on, Doctor. People will be waiting for you at the shuttle bay to ensure safe transport home,” Rose said with a smile that didn't reach her eyes. The guards pushed her inside the unoccupied cell next to his, closing the door behind her. The guard's pull on his arm became more insistent and forced him back even further, until he was completely out of his own cell. Rose's eyes followed him as he was led out of the room, but the smile was gone.

He was sedated again soon after leaving the cells. When he woke up next, he was inside a transport capsule that was barely large enough to hold his body. He pushed the lid open and jumped out, finding himself in the presence of a dressed down royal family. Wearing regular clothes, they looked no different from the other Talongs of the planet. The shuttle bay was deserted. It was no surprise considering that its main purpose was ensuring service between the planet and transit ships orbiting the planets. It was a safe bet that under the current circumstances, whoever had overthrown the independent kingdom was making sure that no one would be leaving.

Without a word, Prince Alran handed him a small device. It was circular, with a pinhole on the top and a flashing green button on the side. When he pressed it, a green light came out of the pinhole, before expending to create an image of Rose's face.

“I'm sorry I probably couldn't explain this to you in person, Doctor, I imagine they won't really be too keen on us just having a chat if my plan works. I know you're probably very angry with me right now, I would be too...”

Through the projection, he could see the faces of the royal family. Prince Alran was looking straight at him, but Princess Valrana and Queen Morana evaded their eyes. The video wavered, as if the projector was getting weak, but it held on.

“The Princess and Prince Alran said the technology they were gonna use on you usually results in permanent brain damage or death with species or hybrids they've never encountered before. My brain is fully human: it won't hurt me and it's reversible. There was no way to get to you in time and there is probably no way to get to me in time to stop the wipe. But when you do get to me, you can reverse it.”

The video wavered again, then the light died. Prince Alran immediately took over.

“Valrana and I know our way around the ship, we can track down the execution room or the cells. If we can't get there in time, Valrana can help you revert the wipe while I keep guard. But first, we need a ship.”

The Doctor nodded, trying to take it all in. He was not used to having to follow a plan designed by someone else and he had never been very good at following orders. With Rose's memories on the line though, he knew that he would have to rely on Alran and Valrana's knowledge in order to save her.

Obtaining a shuttle had been surprisingly easy. Most of the people on the planet were supporters of the old regime. Getting from their shuttle to the ship took ingenuity, but it was nothing compared to making their path through the ship. Every twist and turn looked the same to him, but Valrana and Alran found their way with ease. The ship was heavily guarded, but they knew passages that took them around any obstacle. Every now and then, they would whisper a few words to each other before changing directions. He could tell that they were close, although they did not seem to share the same bond with their mother. She had made it clear that she was coming to ensure the safety of her children, but that she was not happy to be there. Even if she had kept that information to herself, he could have inferred as much just from the look on her face.

**

Even though she had faith in the Doctor, it was hard for Rose not to be terrified as the guards came to get her from her cell. She was led to the room and placed in something that looked like it would have fit in perfectly in a orthodontist’s office. She pressed her lips firmly together as they restrained her to the chair and started applying wires to her head. There were two guards working on her, both their faces and bodies covered in black body armour that was in strong contrast with the white decor of the room. She wondered if not seeing their faces made it easier or worse. Though she knew that was not the case, this way she could pretend they were robots and not actual people doing this to her without a need for justification. They obeyed rules, they had no room for compassion.

After a few more minutes of this process, one of the guards left and the other one headed for a control panel that stood in front of the chair. The panel was placed in such a way that the guard was facing her as he stood at the controls and she kept her eyes on him as he entered a command. Over his shoulder, she could see a clock on the wall that showed the universal time. The seconds ticked away as a tingling sensation grew at her nape, before going down her spine. The seconds started ticking away backwards on the clock and the room erupted in bright lights and sound.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

>   When the celebration of a planet's independence turns into a political coup, the Doctor and Rose have to fight the clock to save the royal family. In the process, they may literally  lose a part of themselves. 
> 
>  
> 
> Episode 16 of a virtual series at [](http://the-altverse.livejournal.com/profile)[**the_altverse**](http://the-altverse.livejournal.com/), following [When in Rome...](http://community.livejournal.com/the_altverse/12309.html) last week.[ Virtual Series Masterlist](http://community.livejournal.com/the_altverse/343.html)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to shinyopals for all the help and to everyone who provided assistance and compassion.

The scene that awaited him on the other side of the door would haunt him forever, the Doctor knew. They had burst through the door after waiting some time for the guard who had exited the room to be at a safe distance, only to find Rose tied to a chair and convulsing violently. Prince Alran had disabled the guard easily and the Doctor had rushed to Rose while Princess Valrana had stopped the process. Rose's eyes were staring blankly at the ceiling when he got to her. He pulled off the wires and cradled her head in his hands. “Rose? Rose, love, are you okay?”

She looked at him for a few seconds, still appearing dazed, then her head gave a shake and she turned her attention to the rest of the room. It wasn't long before she starting pulling on her restraints in a growing panic. “Who are you? Where am I?”

“Rose! Look at me, just me... Do you know who I am?” he pleaded, turning her head back towards him. Their eyes met and she had a moment of hesitation.

“I don't know... I... I think? Oh god, please untie me?”

He nodded, undoing the restraints around her wrists, then her ankles. The moment she was free, she jumped out of the chair and backed away into a corner. “Who the hell are you people? If it's some kind of prank, it's not funny!”

The Doctor took a step in her direction but it only made her retreat even more into the corner.

“Rose, it's okay. Remember, you said you thought you knew me. I won't do you any harm.”

She did not budge. It was obvious that most if not all of the conscious memories had been erased, but if she felt as though she knew him, then they had interrupted the process before it was complete. Hopefully it would make reversing the procedure easier.

“Princess Valrana, is there video surveillance of this room?” he said without taking his eyes off Rose. Rose frowned at the word “princess”, giving the woman an odd look before shifting her attention back to him.

“Yes, there is.”

“Can you find a way to bring it up in this room?”

There were a few electronic beeps coming from the control panel as Valrana entered a command sequence. Soon after, a video display like the one he had observed in his cell earlier that day made its appearance on the wall next to Rose. She gasped and jumped away, shaking like a leaf in her silk dress. He wanted nothing more than to pull her in his arms and reassure her, but he knew doing so would have the opposite effect at the moment.

“Look, Rose. We're... friends. The person we knocked out erased your memory and we're here to save you.”

The video caught up to a few minutes before, when she had jumped from the chair, and Rose turned to him again.

“And that's how I know you? We're friends?” she asked.

“Something like that.”

She gave a small nod. “Okay, then I have just one question.”

He had a pretty good idea what was coming next. If they had erased most conscious memories of him, they had also erased knowledge of aliens. Of course, she would have questions about the royals' physical appearance. “What is it?”

“Why am I wearing this dress? And why am I barefoot?”

He smiled wide and she grinned back at him, not quite with the same enthusiasm she usually displayed but it was a start. He was about to reply when he was interrupted by the Princess.

“Doctor, I think you need to take a look at this.”

The Prince announced that he would be keeping guard outside of the room as the Doctor joined Valrana at the console. The keys were disposed on both sides of a central screen displaying charts. The Princess pointed at energy spikes pointing up.

“This is the energy reading from a memory wipe. You can see the one for Rose and just before that, the one for Father,” she explained, her voice faltering as she mentioned her father's execution. Next, her finger moved to point at a series of spikes that pointed down instead of up. “These spikes are abnormal, or rather their frequency is abnormal. This is what you would see for a restoration, when the memory wipe is reversed.”

“Are they common? Would there have been that many?”

“They happen, but they are not that common,” the Princess replied, shaking her head. He took over for her at the keyboard, making a few more graphs pop up on the screen along the initial two. A quick analysis revealed that over the last two years, the restoration spikes had grown more frequent. He was so absorbed by his discovery that he did not notice the attacker coming from behind.

Thankfully, Rose did.

“Look out!” she screamed as she breezed past him and tackled the Queen to the floor. The knife Queen Morana had been aiming at his back flew across the room before landing on the floor with a loud metallic clunk. The Queen screamed like a fury, trying to shove Rose off of her. Rose held on, doing her best to keep her pinned to the floor.

The commotion attracted Prince Alran back inside. His confusion was clear and it took multiple promptings from both his sister and the Doctor before he settled on pointing the gun he had acquired from the guard at his own mother. The Doctor helped Rose back up, making sure she was unhurt before he focused back on his surprising attacker. She was sitting on the floor with both hands up and murder in her eyes.

“Why, Mother?” Alran asked, a mixture of rage and sadness in his voice. He felt betrayed and the Doctor could understand why. What could possibly have led her to this? The look she gave her son gave the Doctor his first hint.

“You're not Queen Morana,” the Doctor stated, not trying to hide the disgust from his voice. The woman sneered at him.

“Can't get one past you, Doctor. I haven't been Queen Morana in a very long time.”

From her voice to her expression, she looked like a completely different person. It was clear now why she had decided to come and it had nothing to do with ensuring the safety of her children. If she could not stop them from coming, then she needed to keep an eye their actions here. Make sure that they would not uncover secrets that might risk the continued success of the coup. Down below, he knew that the battle was not over and that if they could save the King, the outcome might be in their favour.

“Where's my mother?” Princess Valrana asked, tears streaming down her face. Rose had her arms around her, despite not truly understanding much of the situation. She was still seeking to offer comfort as well as she could.

“In a database. Maybe. I didn't really keep track. Just needed the meat suit.”

“What are you, then? Gareyn?” the Doctor asked, crouching down in front of her. She raised her chin, looking at him defiantly.

“Yes, I'm Gareyn. You have no idea how horrible it's been, trying to pretend I care about any of them. Trying to play wife and mother to that filthy hybrid scum. How hard it's been being one of them. Two years! Two years just waiting it out, knowing that the day would come where we would crush their silly kingdom. It was mine first. It should have stayed mine.”

Valrana gasped. The Doctor looked at her over his shoulder, waiting for the explanation he knew would come.

“She's Tak'reth. She was in charge of Talong during the revolution. We thought she was dead...”

Though she was still shaken, Valrana looked like she was finally calming down. He recognized in her attitude the future leader her father saw in her. It was not long before Tak'reth made herself heard again, her voice growing shrill as her anger started overtaking her.

“I was just biding my time! Getting the right allies!”

There. This was the information he had been waiting for. Who were her allies? The ones he had seen before being brought onto the ship as a prisoner with the King were Talongs; it made no sense for them to be helping the old administration take the planet back.

“How did you get Talongs to help you?” he asked, not truly expecting her to answer. “Did... Oh, no! Yes?”

His eyes went wide as he connected the dots in his head. The energy spikes had grown steadily over the last few months, enough in total to constitute a small army. Tak'reth glared at him, looking like she was ready to pounce on him were it not for Prince Alran's weapon pointed at her.

The rest of the story unfolded without much prompting needed from the woman wearing the body of Queen Morana. After the people of Talong had gained independence, she had gone into hiding only to plan her revenge. Through many alliances and dealings with various sketchy individuals, she had acquired databases of memories that had been wiped from murderers on planets under Gareyn control. In exchange for their service, they would be given a new body and the chance to lead a life with all their memories. Passing as the Queen, she was allowed access to the prison ship and was able to infiltrate her mercenaries on Talong without much difficulty. People who had been convicted of only small crimes had had their memories completely wiped

Sorting everyone out and restoring the right memories in the right bodies would be a lot of work. With the human empire and the Alliance's help, however, it could be done. Starting with Rose.

Prince Alran led Tak'reth to the cells, while Princess Valrana seeked out to contact the Alliance. He knew they would not be pleased with someone interfering in the administration of their prison, but they would be even more angered by someone using their technology to stage a coup.

Following his instructions, Rose sat down on the chair, looking terrified. He reapplied the wires to her head but let the restraints undone.

“Rose, I know you don't really know who I am and I understand that you're feeling scared, but we have to do this,” he said, trying to sound as reassuring as possible.

“I know. I... I trust you.”

He smiled and instinctively kissed her forehead. When he stepped back, she looked surprised at the display of affection, but said nothing. He went to the control panel, typing up the command sequence, then looked up at Rose with apprehension. Her fingers were gripping the arm rests of the chair and she was breathing heavily.

“It's gonna be fine, Rose. Just relax,” he tried, although he could have done with some reassurance himself. It seemed to appease her, because she took a deep breath, then smiled at him.

**

She ought to be terrified of what he could do to her, what with being strapped to a chair with wires attached to her head and all. Yet, she had said the truth. She trusted him, for no reason other than instinct.

Her eyes focused on the Doctor's face as the tickling sensation slowly crawled down her spine, then back up. A bizarre sense of growing awareness overtook her, as though she could see things that had made no sense up until that day with perfect clarity now. Suddenly, she was not seeing him as he was, standing there in front of her, but as he had been through the years. Travelling with him, all big ears and nose first, then as he was now. Then she felt the pain of losing him, followed by the bittersweet joy of finding him again and starting their life in this universe. In an instant, all of the memories of the life they shared came rushing back to her. As the last moments leading up to the memory wipe were restored, the tickling sensation dissipated and she became conscious of her surroundings again. The Doctor stood in front of her with a worried expression on his face.

“Rose?”

She smiled. “I really, really need you to kiss me right now.”

He didn't take much convincing.

If she had been impressed by the reception they had initially come to Talong for, it was nothing compared to the planet-wide affair that took place a few months down the road. Many things had been destroyed, both lives and buildings, but Talong had finally returned to what it once was. More importantly, everyone was back to being themselves.

The Doctor had taken her back to the TARDIS soon after their return on the planet surface, eager to check on her vital signs and make sure that everything was alright. After that, he hopped the TARDIS a few months forward so that they could attend the celebration they had been invited to. No need to RSVP.

They received heartfelt thanks from the King, then got to meet the Queen. The real Queen. She had no memories of the previous two years, nor any memories of being taken to the prison ship. The last thing she could remember was going to bed, before she woke up in the chair after her memories had been restored. The Alliance had offered their assistance in sorting out the matter despite their usual stance against getting involved in planetary politics. They probably considered that their inability to stop Tak'reth from almost bringing her plan to fruition by using their technology had been partly to blame.

Ironically, the assassination attempt that had led them to uncover the conspiracy had not been planned. It was the dangers one faced when they chose to associate themselves with murderers: they were not known for following orders. One thing they were known for, however, was taking initiative. That initiative had forced Tak'reth to move ahead with her plan in case the man they had arrested lifted the veil on the entire thing during interrogation.

The streets surrounding the castle looked like a fair, with stands offering copious quantities of food and numerous tables disposed here and there. Rose had made certain to wear jeans and sensible shoes this time. If she ever wore another silk dress again, it would be too soon.

The Doctor was holding onto her hand tightly, making sure to keep her close even when they were simply talking with other people, including Neena and Safran. Neena was pregnant now, her round stomach a clear indicator that they had indeed jumped forward in Talong's timeline. It was easy to lose track of exactly how much time had passed for the planet when the cuts she had gotten on the soles of feet from walking down the secret passage on the day of the failed coup had yet to heal. After a few jokes on the baby's taste buds, the couples parted ways. The Doctor led her to a table, waiting for her to sit down before he spoke.

“I'm sorry I couldn't get to you in time to stop the wipe in the first place.”

“Don't be sorry, that was the plan, remember? Take one for the team and all,” Rose joked, trying to lighten the mood. She forced a laugh, but he looked her straight in the eyes, obviously not keen on joining in. It was clearly gonna take a lot more than a joke or two.

“I should have found a better way.”

With a sigh, she covered his hand with hers on top of the table and squeezed it gently. “You can't always protect me from everything, Doctor. I thought I'd made that clear before: we protect each other.”

“But what if I hadn't been able to reverse the memory wipe? You would have permanently lost all memories of us and your life in this universe. It was a big gamble, Rose...”

He was growing agitated and she could tell from the look in his eyes that he was exploring all the scenarios in which things could have gone wrong in his head. She squeezed his hand again, more firmly this time.

“I trust you. It was... you know, one of those exercises where you have to close your eyes and let yourself fall back into people's arms, trusting them to catch you? It was that, but on a bigger scale. I trust you to catch me, Doctor. From day one, swinging from a chain over the Nestene consciousness, I knew you'd catch me.”

“I didn't always catch you, you fell once and I couldn't stop it.”

More than melancholy for past events, it was fear she read on his face as he spoke. Fear for what the future held for them, perhaps, or maybe the lingering fear he had felt when he had lost her for a few minutes thanks to the memory wipe.

“That's okay. I made my way back then. Team effort,” she said with a firm nod, eager to provide reassurance. “I trust you, but you need to keep trusting me too. Okay?”

“I know. I just hate to see you come to any danger. I love you so much, it's hard to be rational about it,” he said with a sigh.

“Then that makes two of us. I hate it when you're in danger too, but more than just trusting you, I trust us. We're a good team.”

He smiled, then wrapped his arm around her and pulled her head against his shoulder. They remained like that just long enough for Rose to realize just how tired she was. After all, they had not slept since the night before the party. “Doctor?”

“Yes?”

“Remember, before the whole thing where we stopped a power-hungry Gareyn from taking back the planet and I spent several hours in a very silly dress, then got my memory wiped?”

He chuckled. “Yes?”

She pulled back, resting her chin on his shoulder and looking at him straight in the eyes. “I asked you to hold onto something for me.”

It took a few seconds for her implication to register, but she knew he had caught her meaning when he smiled brightly at her. She smiled back, then moved closer to press her lips against his.

 


End file.
